Jumping To Cold Conclusions
by MiniMystic Man
Summary: no summary


  
Jumping To Cold Conclusions  
By MiniMystic Man  
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Author's Note: I have recently discovered that the paragraphs did not show up,   
so i have redone the page in text format.  
  
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"Cursed cold weather, I hate snow sometimes!" Sabin grumbled as he   
pulled his hood tighter and looked up at the stars. As he treaded over   
another tuft of snow, he cold just barely see the faint light of a town in   
the distance through the falling snow. "What's this, is there actually a   
TOWN out here?" Sabin looked puzzled. Sabin started to tread through the   
knee deep snow toward the town. Sabin entered the town, "Ah at last, less   
snow!" Sabin looked around the town, "Hmmmm, what a quiant little place, ah   
ha! The Icicle Inn? Rather neat name, well, better get a room to warm up   
in." Sabin said as he approached the Inn. "Let's hope i can get a room at   
this time in the night." Sabin pondered. He opened the door and entered,   
quickly closing the door behind himself as to not let much snow get in. He   
was shocked to see a man sitting at a table drinking something.  
  
Luke looked down into his drink as Sabin walked in. Luke took a sip of   
his coffee and looked at him. "Great, another one," he mumbled to himself,   
"if these guys keep coming, I'll have nowhere to hide the bodies." He   
chuckled at the thought. Luke stood up and walked over to Sabin. "Where are   
you from, who do you work for, and why have you come here?" Sabin just stood   
there with a puzzled look on his face as if to say "who is this guy??"  
"Well?! Speak up!" Luke shouted impatiently. "Hmm...well, it seems you're   
not one for talking." Luke went back to his table, finished his coffee and   
walked out the door leaving it open. Sabin closed the door after Luke.  
  
"Well, that was rather odd..." Sabin thought to himself, "I wonder what his   
problem is?" Sabin glanced over at the clerk sleeping with his head on the   
counter, then walked over to the table and sat down. "Well," Sabin thought,   
"This is a very nice place, and warm too!" Sabin pulled his hood back, his   
hair bobbed out from under it, then Sabin unzipped the heavy, winter jacket   
and put it over the back of his chair. "Looks like i'll be staying here the   
night," Sabin rested his head on his arms, on top of the table, and started   
to doze off.  
  
Luke walked back to his house with his hands in his pockets. "Hmph, the   
nerve of some people, not even answering me." Luke kicked the snow away from   
his door, and opened it. Inside, he sat down on his couch. Luke's house is   
two stories high with a balcony on the second story. On the balcony is a   
telescope. His bed is upstairs and there's a fireplace in front of the   
couch.  
Luke woke up from a doze he had no idea he went into. "Wow, that was   
weird. Never done that before." he said as he looked at his watch. "Crud!   
Only 5 minutes left!" Luke rushed upstairs to his telescope and looked up in   
space. "Ahh, yes. There it is, the fiery ball I've been viewing for the past   
month." Luke stopped looking through the lens as the sun came up. He heard   
someone walking under the balcony and looked down. It was Sabin. "He must be   
upto something..." Luke thought to himself.  
  
"Jeez, this guy's hard to find even in his own house!" Sabin's pondering was   
disrupted by a creaking from the balcony floor boards. Sabin turned around   
and looked up. "Hello? Might you come down here so we can talk?" Sabin   
questioned the shadow he saw on the balcony.  
  
Luke glanced down when Sabin spoke. "Hmm... yes, I suppose I could. Wait a   
second, I'll be down..." Luke said before walking in the balcony door. Luke   
looked under his bed and grabbed Oraishu incase Sabin tryed something. After   
putting Oraishu's sheath on his back, he sheathed the sword itself. He stood   
at the top of the steps and looked down. "Nahh..." he said to himself, he   
then looked out the balcony door. Luke grinned evilly, as he ran towards the   
balcony. He jumped the barrier and onto the ground. "Now," he said to Sabin   
catching his breath, "you wanted something?"  
  
Sabin spun around as Luke landed behind him, "Most impressive. Now, what is   
this place?" Sabin inquired.  
  
"This place," Luke began, "is my home. This is Icicle Inn, the northern most   
town on the Planet." Luke walked over to a rock, brushed off the snow and   
sat down. "This town has been my home for some time now, ever since I was   
16. I moved here before my 17th birthday." Luke stopped to think. "To the   
north," Luke continued, is Old Mr. Holzoff's cabin." So far, that's as much   
as I know. I never ventured much further for fear of getting lost.  
  
"Well," Sabin mentioned, "I have quite frequently acted as a guide for   
travelers and tourists alike, although I don't know this area very well, I   
could be of assistance to you if you wanted to go somewhere?"  
  
Luke thought to himself a second, "Maybe I was wrong about this guy. He   
seems like a useful ally. And I did want to go visit Crater. And this guy is   
really strong and it kinda bugs me...but, I gotta go." Luke spoke, "Okay,   
I'll go with. There's a crater to the north that I've seen on maps. That's   
where I want to go. Let me go get some stuff to take along and I'll be out."   
Luke jumped up and grabbed the top of the balcony and pulled himself up. He   
ran into his room and grabbed and equipped his Materia, the locket of his   
mother and father, and his sunglasses. This time, Luke ran out the front   
door locking it. "Okay," Luke said coming up behind Sabin, "I'm ready to   
go."  
  
"Ok then," Sabin zipped his jacket up, "Let me get my stuff out of the Inn,   
and then i'll be ready to go, while i'm doing that, can you find a   
map....that would help a GREAT deal?"  
  
"Map...a map..." Luke mumbled, "oh yeah! There's one in the Weapons Shop!!"   
Luke quickly ran to the Weapons Shop, the keeper was asleep and no one else   
was around. He looked around and ripped the map off the wall. "Yes!" Luke   
said under his breath. "Now to the Inn..." He ran to Inn to meet Sabin. Then   
he thought a second and said, "Ya know, I don't think I ever got your name,   
I'm Luke, Luke Davis. And you are...?"  
  
"Ah yes," Sabin said, "I'm Sabin...nice to meet you, looks like we'll be   
seeing a lot of each other now, hehe, well, can i see that map?" Sabin   
asked as he shoved some equipment into a backpack and then put it on his   
back.  
  
"Sure." Luke said as he held the map out, "Now, from what I know about this   
area, north of Mr. Holzoff's cabin is the crater. I'm pretty sure you need   
to go through caverns first."  
  
"Ah, yes" Sabin looked at the map, "hmmmm, do you know anything about these   
caverns? Are they dangerous? And do you want to stop at Holzoff's cabin on   
the way?"  
  
"Hmm... I suppose it would be wise to stop at Holzoff's cabin to check on   
the weather conditions." Luke said as he started walking north. He stopped   
and took off Oraishu to make sure it was secure. "Okay," he said, "let's   
mosey."  
  
"Sounds good," Sabin said as he matched pace with Luke, "Now, let's find   
this Cabin, shall we?" Sabin rolled the map up and put it in his backpack.   
The two set off north, out into the tundra. "Have you ever been to this   
man's cabin before?" Sabin asked after a short time.  
  
"Once before...right when I moved to the Inn." Luke said, "The man's kind   
of...well, odd. But he's cool. At least from what I could tell when I met   
him." Luke unsheathed Oraishu. "I'm not gonna attack you, I just feel   
comfortable carrying it."  
  
"Oh, ok, I know how you feel." Sabin said, trustingly. "So, how far until   
we get to the cabin? Any rough areas on the way?" Sabin asked as he treaded   
over a tuft of snow.  
  
"It shouldn't be that much farther," Luke said rubbing his hands together,   
"there is a rough spot up ahead. A trench with a creaky bridge. Last time I   
crossed, it almost fell. I had to repair it on my way back." Luke stopped   
walking. "Shh, you hear that? There's 3 wolves about 15ft ahead... we must   
be careful," He whispered, "wolves in the Northern areas are nothing to mess   
with. There's little food for them to live off of, and they're very   
desperate."  
  
"15 ft. ahead?" Sabin looked surprised, "Dang tundras, i'm not used to   
tracking things here, I didn't even hear them. So, should we go around, or   
go through?"  
  
"I think we should just go through," Luke said, "We'll just knock the wolves   
out and go through..." Luke began walking ahead again.  
  
"Ok," Sabin agreed, "Sounds like a good idea to me." Sabin proceeded to   
follow at the same pace as Luke. "Shall I let you take care of the wolves?"   
Sabin motioned forward.  
  
"Yes, please let me." Luke said as he pulled some grain out of a sachel. He   
began to toss it at the wolves. As soon as one went towards the grain, the   
other two followed. With one sniff of it, the wolves were out cold. "Don't   
worry," Luke said, "They'll only be like that for about 15 minutes. Long   
enough for us to get through."  
  
"Hmmmm," Sabin pondered, "I like your style...now, to continue on..." Sabin   
continued walking passed the wolves bodies. "Now, about how far to the   
cabin?"  
  
"It's right over this hill." Luke said pointing up. "See, there's a bit of   
smoke right there." Luke found a small tree and pulled himself up the steep   
hill. A little bit later, Luke and Sabin were standing on the summit looking   
at a cabin. "Well, here it is. Mr Holzoff's cabin. Let's go in and rest."   
Luke said as he was walking to the cabin door.  
  
"Ah, looks like a quiant little housing," Sabin said as he treaded toward   
the door, "Shall I let you open it, cause the man doesn't know me, but he   
should know you." Sabin motioned toward the door.  
  
Luke nodded as he opened the door to the cabin. "Holzoff? You in here?" Luke   
asked.  
"Who the devil is that?!" The old man asked.  
"It's me, Luke." he said "With me is Sabin. We need to rest, we're heading   
to the crater."  
"Oh, hi Luke! I'm glad to see you." Holzoff said, "please, do rest."  
  
***  
  
About an hour later, the two woke up. "Uhh, Luke" Mr Holzoff said, "May I   
have a word with you in the other room?"  
"Sure" Luke said  
In the other room: "I don't really like the vibes I'm getting from your   
muscular friend." Holzoff said, "He just, well, makes me feel   
uncomfortable."  
"Hmm" Luke pondered, "I wonder why." The old man walked into the sleeping   
room and screamed. Luke ran in, "What wrong?!?"  
"My vase! It's broke!!!" he yelled at Sabin, "What did you do!!!??" Luke   
just stood there with an odd look on his face.  
"Umm...it just fell..." Sabin said, "I didn't touch it."  
"I knew it! He's here to kill me! Get out! Get out of my house, both of   
you!!"  
  
"WHAT?" Sabin yelled in shock, "Old man, i'm not here to kill you."  
"Get out!!!!" The old man yelled as he grabbed a broom.  
"Ok," Sabin said as he walked toward the door, "Ok, i'm going, i'm going."   
Sabin stepped out the front door.  
  
Luke followed Sabin outside. "Hey, I'm really sorry about that, he's not   
normally like that." Luke pulled out his locket with his parents pictures   
and looked at it for a while. "Mom, Dad...this time, I'm gonna do it." Luke   
said to himself quietly.  
  
"Um," Sabin intruded, "I don't mean to pry, but WHAT are you going to do?"  
  
"Something that I promised myself when I broke my dad's Contain..." Luke   
said, "I heard there was a Mastered Contain Materia up in the Crater. But,   
it's just a tale I heard a while ago. No need to keep us waiting...let's   
continue." Luke began to walk. Hopes filled his heart, something that   
doesn't happen that often...  
  
"Hmmm," Sabin pondered, "Well, i'm sure you'll have time to fill me in on   
whatever you like to tell me along the way. Now, on to the crater." Sabin   
pulled out the map and examined it. "Hmmmm, how long do you think it'll   
take us to get there?" Sabin asked as he showed the map to Luke.  
  
"Approximatley, a half hour." Luke guessed, "It takes a while to scale the   
walls and it's hard due to avalanches..." Luke looked up at the top of the   
crater..."Hey, Sabin, you got a grappling hook in that bag of yours?"  
  
"Of course!" Sabin said with enthusiasm, "I have everything we'll need for   
scaling any type of mountain, so we should make record time." Sabin reached   
back into his backpack and pulled out a black grappling hook, "Yep, this   
should do it." He pulled out a rope and started to tie it to the grappling   
hook.  
  
"Excellent!" Luke said with glee as he took the hook. Holding onto the hook,   
Luke concentrated for a minute. A blue aura appeared around the hook and   
Luke's hands. "EEEAAA!!!!" Luke let out a loud yell of power as he tossed   
the hook into the air at the top of the Crater. "Dangit...it didn't reach   
the top." Luke said as he saw the hook sail up and land at 1,500 of the   
2,000 ft of the Crater. Luke handed the rope to Sabin, "Do what you have to   
do to get this thing secure."  
  
"Ok, will do!" Sabin said with pride. Sabin moved one hand higher on the   
rope, and then yanked both his hands down with the rope. A bunch of small   
rocks and dust came falling down from above. "Yep, now it's secure." Sabin   
said while holding the rope. "I'll let you go first as always, when we   
reach where the rope is, I can toss it up to the very top." Sabin told Luke   
as he handed the rope back to him.  
  
Luke took the rope and started to climb. Using the wall of the Crater as a   
foothold, he had no problem getting up.  
***  
At the top, Luke just stood in awe. "Wow...I never thought it to be   
so...pretty." Luke stood with his mouth open. Sabin got to the top shortly   
after Luke, his response was the same.  
  
"Wow," Sabin could barely squeeze that one word out of his mouth as he and   
Luke stood staring at the white, swirling energy in the crater.   
"Wh...Wha....What is this?" Sabin asked Luke while keeping his eyes glued   
to the beautiful scene.  
  
Luke pulled himself together, "I think it's the Lifestream. Or, Planet's   
energy." Luke kneeled, held his gut, and got a painful look on his face.   
"We're close, I can feel it." Luke said as he stood up. "The Contain is   
here, I know." Luke began to run down the to the center. Just as soon as he   
leapt over a gap in the stones, he fell down a pit.  
  
"LUKE!" Sabin yelled as he sprinted down after Luke. Sabin reached behind   
his back as he slid down the inside of the crater, he pulled out a bungee   
cord and tied a loose knot in both ends, then he threw his backpack next to   
a rock. In less then a second Sabin was down to near the pit. Sabin neared   
the edge, quickly slung one knotted end around a firm rock at the edge, and   
jumped down the same pit. As he fell he slipped the knot around his feet   
and then aimed his arms downward. He could see Luke falling into the   
eternal, white energy. "I gotcha, almost there!" Sabin yelled down as he   
fell nearer and nearer to Luke. Sabin reached his arms out as far as he   
could. Just as Sabin grasped Luke's heel he felt the rope tense. Then the   
rope sprang into action and sent Sabin springing back up a few feet, and   
Luke with him. "Well, here we are!" Sabin said as he grabbed Luke's other   
foot with his free hand. "Can you do me a favor and grab a hold of the   
rope?" Sabin began to lift Luke up so that he could reach the rope.  
  
Luke pulled himself up some and grabbed the rope. "Thank you!" he said   
panting. "But, I have to go back down there...the materia...contain...it's   
there." Luke closed his eyes, "I can feel it. There is also and evil down   
there, protecting the Contain."  
  
"Well," Sabin said as he started to climb the rope, "My best guess is that   
you couldn't live going down there, soooo, i say we go back up and find a   
SAFER way down to your "contain", now, get on my back, i'll pull you up."  
  
"Okay," Luke said understandingly, "We'll find another way." Luke got onto   
Sabin's back. "It shouldn't be that much longer now..."  
  
"Ok," Sabin said as he started to climb the rope, "I'm gonna need to rest   
once we get back up there, i'm getting tired." After a short time they had   
reached the top. Luke climbed off of Sabin's back and stood on the ledge,   
Sabin crawled over to a rock and layed down next to it as he untied the rope   
from the rock, "Hey Luke, can you run up the crater a short distance and   
fetch my backpack for me?" Sabin asked as he rested his head on the rock.  
  
"Sure," Luke said, "I'll be right back." Luke ran up the Crater and got   
Sabin's backpack. He got back to Sabin, who was sleeping, a few minutes   
later. "Hmm.." Luke thought. He got out a piece of paper and a pencil from   
Sabin's backpack. He wrote:  
  
'Sabin, I went on ahead. Don't worry about me. The Contain is   
no more than 300yds. away. I'll be fine. I'll leave a trail of white stones   
I found while getting your backpack. Find me soon!  
Luke'  
Luke then set off ahead, alone.  
  
About half an hour passed until Sabin awoke, "YAWN! Luke?" Sabin rubbed his   
eyes and then looked around, he saw his backpack, then paniced, "LUKE?!"   
Sabin's voice echoed in the crater. Sabin jumped to his feet and then saw a   
piece of paper laying behind his backpack, "What the?" Sabin walked over and   
picked up the paper, he unfolded it and read it. "Blast him!" Sabin said   
under his breath as he put threw the paper into his backpack and then put it   
on his back. "300 yds?" Sabin thought. Sabin looked around for foot prints   
but couldn't find any because the breeze created by the near-by energy had   
blown any away. As Sabin started on a path he saw something white further   
up along the path. "AHA!" Sabin thought, "He's this way!" Sabin ran up to   
the white object and picked it up, it was a white stone allright, Sabin then   
continued down the path.  
  
"Dang, these stones are almost gone." Luke said after counting them. There   
were only 30 or so left. Luke then felt an odd feeling. His eyes widened and   
he crouched down. It felt like he was being controlled by some kind of outer   
force. Luke, being controlled, pulled a rock out of the ground, the rock was   
connected to a wire of some sort. After letting the rock go, a doorway   
opened up. This time, under no control, Luke went into the doorway, it shut   
behind him.  
  
Sabin walked along the path picking up the stones and putting them in a   
pouch, "Well, I'm going pretty fast," Sabin thought, "I should be catching   
up with him soon enough." Sabin continued along until he picked up one   
stone, then walked forward, "What the?!" Sabin said to the stone wall   
directly infront of him, "The path ends here?" Sabin thought, "Where the   
heck is he?"  
  
"Luke," a voice from the cavern called, "what you have come for is up   
ahead."  
"Who's there!?" Luke shouted. No answer. Luke felt around the walls for a   
switch..nothing. "What's that?" he said, "A light?!" A little light twinkled   
in the distance. Luke then heard thudding on the wall behind him. "Sabin! He   
must have caught up!" The thudding continued. "There's no way of conversing   
with him." Luke said, "I might as well just go on ahead..." He walked ahead,   
every few steps, the thudding grew quieter.  
  
"LUKE!!!!" Sabin yelled as he pounded on the rock wall, "Oh screw this, i'll   
take the easy way in..." Sabin's claws began to glow a faint blue and a   
twinkle grew in his eye. Sabin then unleashed a blur of punches at the wall   
causing dust and rock to fly everywhere.  
"What in the?" Luke thought as he heard a loud crashing noise behind him,   
"What is he doing?"  
The dust cleared and Sabin was kneeling just inside the cave breathing   
heavily, with nothing left of the door. "Crap, i didn't rest enough." He   
said as he failed to get to his feet, "LUKE?!?!?! you in here?" Sabin   
yelled down the cave.  
  
"Sabin!?" Luke exclaimed running over to him. "Jeez, I told you I'd be   
fine." He began to drag Sabin over to the wall. He leaned Sabin up against   
it. "Now just stay here, I'll be back in a bit." Luke began to walk away. He   
turned around to see Sabin try to get up and follow. "Stay!" Luke shouted.  
"Okay, okay..." Sabin said sitting down. Luke continued on ahead.  
  
Sabin watched Luke disappear, but he could still hear him. "He can't   
seriously expect me to stay here?" Sabin thought. "Well, Sabin, you HAVE to   
get up, come on!" Sabin thought to himself as he struggled. Sabin   
eventually got to his feet with a little help from the wall. "Now to find   
out what Luke's up to..." Sabin's thoughts trailed off as he snuck further   
into the cave, he started out holding himself up with the wall, but his   
strenght slowly increased until he could walk without much relative pain.   
Sabin shadowed Luke with ease further down, into the cave.  
  
After seeming hours, Luke finally reached the end of the cave. "Here...it's   
here!" Luke said with glee. He walked up to the Contain and touched it. The   
room shook and a wall fell down revealing a stone figure. Luke walked over   
to it, there was something inscribed in it:  
'To those travellers who wish to take this Contain,  
Must first learn to use their brain.  
Upon reading this prose,  
You'll unleash this monster enclosed.'  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Luke questioned. And with that, a beast, at   
least 10ft tall emerged from the stone. "Holy sunnofa-!" Luke shouted as the   
beast let out a roar. Under no hesitation, Luke unsheathed Oraishu. "It is   
time, friend." Luke said. Oraishu begain streaming with irridescent orange   
color. A moment later, Luke heard a mechanical voice in his head, "Mind-bond   
confirmed." A barrier formed in front of Luke, protecting him from physical   
attacks. Luke jumped into the air and attemped to lunge at the beast, who   
moved out of the way. Landing on his feet, he turned around and lunged   
again, this time, hitting it.  
  
Sabin rounded a corner and heard Luke yelling, Sabin saw Luke fighting but   
decided to wait for just the right moment. "Let's see JUST how good Luke   
is." Sabin thought from behind a rock.  
  
Luke pulled Oraishu from the beast. It was in it's side. The beast used its   
giant, spiked tail and swung at Luke. Upon hitting the barrier, it   
shattered. "What!? It's not strong enough." Luke was knocked over and hit a   
rock. Staggering to his feet, Luke unleashed Ice 2. A blast of icy-blue   
lights shot toward the beast. When the lights collided, the beast was frozen   
for a few seconds, just enough for Luke to attack again. This time, he was   
furious, Oraishu's color grew brighter than ever, it light the entire cave,   
from front to back. Luke shouted as he cut into the beast, "AAAHHHH!!!!!"   
When he pulled the sword out, there were pieces of heart and blood dripping   
off the end. The monster hit the ground with an awsome thud. With the   
monster dead, Luke proceeded to the Contain, exausted. Just before Luke   
reached the Materia, he fainted.  
  
After Luke had fainted, Sabin walked over to him, "Very good my friend, most   
impressive..." Sabin said to his motionless body. Sabin dragged Luke over   
to the wall and set Luke up against the wall, "Rest here my friend." Sabin   
then sat down on the other side of the cavern and started to tie knots in   
his rope and organize his backpack, waiting for Luke to awaken.  
  
Before awakening, Luke had a dream: "Son," a male voice said, "I'm proud of   
you."  
"As am I, Luke," this time, a female voice. "You have made us proud parents.   
Now, it's time for you to awaken." With that, Luke awoke.  
"How long was I out?" he questioned.  
"Oh, about a half hour." Sabin answered. Luke just stared at the ground.   
It's surface, shiny and black. He glanced a trail of blood and followed it   
over to the beast. Luke got to his feet, walked over to the beast, and   
kneeled.  
"I'm sorry I had to do that," he said, "you were fighting for your survival,   
as was I." He got up and walked over to the Contain. "This is not   
Mastered...but it matters not." he said grabbing it. Luke then took out his   
Allx2 and put Contain in its place. "Now, let's be on our way." Luke said   
motioning for Sabin to get up. Before leaving, Luke looked at the beast one   
last time.  
  
Sabin stood with a grunt, "I was just getting comfortable!" he said   
jokingly. "So, now you have your contain, do we still need to stick around   
this place?" Sabin asked Luke as he put his backpack on his back.  
  
"Nope," Luke began, "I have no more business here. I came for the Contain,   
and that's it." He started walking down the tunnel towards the exit. "Hey,   
you got any dynamite in there?" Luke asked Sabin as they reached the exit.  
  
"Dynamite?" Sabin looked puzzled.  
"Yeah, to keep other people out of here, you have any?" Luke answered.  
"Unfortunantely, no, sorry..." Sabin continued walking.  
  
"Dang." Luke sighed, "ahh, well. It's okay." Luke stopped in his tracks. "We   
must hurry to Holzoff's. Something bad is happening there."  
"Not that guy again!" Sabin shouted.  
"Hurry!!" Luke started running towards Holzoff's cabin.  
  
"Wait!" Sabin yelled as he followed Luke, but Luke payed no head. Sabin   
sped up and matched pace with Luke, "How do you know something is wrong?   
And how are we going to get down the crater quick enough?" Sabin asked as   
the ran up the crater.  
  
"Well, I don't know about you," Luke said, "but I'm gonna jump down. I'll   
fill you in when we're at the bottom." Luke ran towards the edge of the   
Crater. "Here goes nothing!!!" Luke's voice echoed as he jumped. Sabin just   
stood there, amazed.  
  
Sabin shook off his amazement shortly after and then reached into his   
backpack, "Fine, take the painful way!" Sabin then hooked his "bungee" rope   
to his belt and, with a spike tied to the other end, hammered it into the   
top of the crater. Then Sabin surveyed the distance down, and tightened the   
rope accordingly. Then he jumped over the edge.  
  
Luke tossed Oraishu into a snow bank on the way down. Still falling, Luke   
got into perfect diving form. "I hope there's ice under here!" he shouted.   
Crash! Straight through the ice and into the chilled water. Luke was under   
for a few minutes, and popped out of the water fine.  
  
Sabin came falling down, while Luke was underwater, and just before he hit   
the ground the rope snapped tight, Sabin's face smashed straight into a snow   
bank. The spring of the rope pulled Sabin back out, yelling,   
"COOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLD!" Sabin unhooked his belt and then yanked the rope   
down and put it back into his backpack.  
  
At the bottom, Sabin inquired about Mr. Holzoff. "Well," Luke said, "I get   
this feeling inside me whenever someone I know is in trouble, it's something   
I can't help. Now, let's get going." Luke picked up Oraishu and continued to   
Holzoff's cabin.  
  
Sabin brushed his face off, "That is a very useful ability, sometimes I wish   
that I had it!" Sabin said admiring Luke.  
  
"It's not that great. It comes and it goes." Luke said as he gained pace.   
After crossing the last hill, they saw Holzoffs's cabin, on fire.  
"Helllp!!" the old man yelled from inside. "Helllp mee!!" Luke looked at   
Sabin.  
"Okay, it's your time now. Go help him and I'll put out the fire." Luke said   
to Sabin seriously.  
  
"RIGHT!" Sabin said as he sprinted toward the house. Sabin ran up toward   
the house and kicked down the door and ran into the house, Luke lost sight   
of Sabin.  
  
Luke unsheathed Oraishu, took out Contain, and concentrated all of his   
energy onto using the materia. "Father said never to use materia on   
non-animate things...I'm sorry father." Luke said straining. The veins in   
his arms became clearly visible as Contain began to glow. He shut his eyes   
tight to get a clear thought on the objective. Contain let out a blast of   
icy-blue light that hit the flaming cabin. The flames went out a ripple from   
where the Freeze spell of Contain hit. Luke put Contain back in Oraishu and   
sheathed it. He ran to the cabin to check up on Holzoff and Sabin. Holzoff   
was in a snow bank outside the cabin, (knocked back by the blast), and Sabin   
was lying on the floor shivering. "You ok?" Luke asked.  
  
"COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLD!" Sabin yelled as he jumped up and   
ran around the cabin. Sabin pulled out a blanket and wrapped it around   
himself, "AAAAAAHHHHHHH! What now? Is the old man ok?"  
  
Luke walked over to Holzoff and felt his pulse. "Hmm, his pulse has slown a   
bit, but he'll be ok." Luke said. "At least my Contain works." Luke grinned.  
It seemed like hours before Holzoff woke up. "I owe you my apologies, Sabin.   
It seems that you're not here to kill me after all." the old man said.  
Sabin jumped in, "Exactly how did the fire start, Old man?"  
"Well," he began, "I was cleaning out my chimeny, when a box fell from it. I   
picked it up and opened it. A spark must have flown out, because as soon as   
the box was open, my couch was on fire and wouldn't go out."  
"That's interesting," Luke said, "almost as if, a fire bug was living inside   
the box. But those things went extinct over a hundred years ago. It is   
puzzling. But, sorry, we must head back to town. Thank you for your   
hospitality." Luke walked out the door leaving Sabin alone with Holzoff.  
  
"Again," Holzoff began, "Thank you."  
"Think nothing of it, it was my pleasure to help you." Sabin replied as he   
started to leave.  
"If you ever need shelter, come here, you both are always welcome!" Holzoff   
said to Sabin as he closed the door.  
Outside, "Well, shall we return to Icicle Inn?" Sabin asked Luke.  
  
"Yes," Luke said, "we'll go back now." The old man came running up with   
something in his hands.  
"I think one of you dropped this." He said, "I found it lying on the   
ground." he handed it to Sabin and ran back to the cabin. Luke and Sabin   
continued walking.  
"What is this thing?" Sabin asked as he was looking at the red, cubed   
object. He turned it over a couple times. "What's this?" he said looking at   
an ingraved button. He pushed it and the box sprung open revealing two   
sharpening blocks. "Hey! This stuff's the same as my claws!"  
"Yes, it seems so," Luke said, "why don't we split them? One for me and one   
for you."  
  
"Sure, sounds fair, after all, you did help save him." Sabin said as he   
handed one to Luke, "Now back to Icicle Inn."  
  
Back at Icicle Inn, they sat and talked at Luke's house. "So, now that   
you've helped me, what are you going to do now? "Luke asked "Do you have a   
family to return to? This is my permanent home, but I'm going on vacation   
soon."  
  
"Nope," Sabin said calmfully, "The only thing close to a family I have is my   
master, Zangan. Well, I really should get back wandering, that's how i got   
here, I just wandered up here, and found this town!" Sabin said as he   
gathered his stuff into his backpack. "Well, i do hope that we meet again   
sometime, my friend." Sabin headed toward the door.  
  
"Goodbye, and good luck with your future travels." Luke said as he showed   
Sabin out. "Until we meet again, my friend... untill we meet again."  
  
"Goodbye my friend, see you around." Sabin put his hood up, tightened it,   
then he turned and walked out through the entrance to the town, and off into   
the snow. Luke lost sight of Sabin after he was just a black speck on the   
horizon and then the snow made him vanish into the background.  
  
-End-  



End file.
